New Delhi, May 30: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to host the second phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 from September 17 to October 10. The suspended midway into its 14th season owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the BCCI on Saturday (May 29) approved the resumption of the lucrative league in the UAE in the middle of September.

The IPL's resumption was approved during the BCCI's SGM on Saturday, less than a month after the league was suspended because of COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble.

According to an InsideSport report, "BCCI has zeroed down on September 17 as the start date of IPL 2021 remaining matches. The finals of the 14th edition of the league will be played on 10th October."

"We will speak to all the boards about the availability of their players. We will also speak to Cricket West Indies, we always had a great relationship with everyone and we are confident some solution will come out in the next few days", said one of the top BCCI officials after attending the BCCI SGM.

The BCCI, meanwhile, is trying to convince Cricket West Indies to advance the start of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) by a week or 10 days to ensure a seamless bubble-to-bubble transfer of players for the resumption of IPL.

The CPL is scheduled to get underway from August 28 with the final to be played on September 19, while the remaining part of IPL is likely to be held from September 18 to October 10, not leaving the players with any time to settle down.

"We are in talks with Cricket West Indies. We are hoping that if CPL can be finished a few days in advance, it would help in the bubble to bubble transfer of all players to Dubai and in time to complete the mandatory three-day quarantine," a BCCI source, privy to the development, told PTI on Sunday.

If the BCCI and CWI fail to reach an agreement over dates, some of the biggest players could miss the initial few matches or maybe the first half of the IPL.

The big names involved in both the T20 leagues are Mumbai Indians' five-time IPL-winning influential all-rounder Kieron Pollard, the swashbuckling Chris Gayle, seasoned all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran, Fabien Allen, Keemo Paul, Sunil Narine and Trinidad and Tobago coach Brendon McCullum, who is also at the helm of affairs in Kolkata Knight Riders. The upcoming edition will be the CPL's ninth season and will feature some of the format's biggest superstars from across the world.